36 Meter

Arabian Dhow

118' Length On Deck

The Dhow in History

The 36 meter vessel shown here is modeled after a type of traditional Arabian
Dhow, most closely resembling the Baghala type. The most
traditional rig for this kind of vessel is the Lateen rig (triangular
sails) or the Settee rig (trapezoidally shaped sails). Both of
these are able to sail down wind like a square rig, but they are also
able to sail well to windward and tack into the wind like a fore and aft
rigged craft.

Most sources attribute the origins of the Dhow to India, where it
appears they were ordinarily built near the supply of wood.
Originally the Dhow and other craft in the region were built using
stitched-together planks, and on some smaller local craft that kind of
construction can still be found.

The Dhow was developed over many centuries as a trading vessel, carrying
cargo east as far as China by way of Sri Lanka and the Straits of
Malacca, bringing goods to and from Alexandria via the Red Sea, thus
connecting the Roman Empire with the Han Dynasty in China. The Arab
trade routes also extended south to Zanzibar in Africa. Some
sources claim that the very earliest craft were trading along similar
coastal routes in the Indian Ocean as early as 3,000 B.C.
These craft eventually developed into the Dhow as we know it today.

With the triangular Lateen sail, the Dhow could out-sail the square
rigged craft of the Mediterranean, and better navigate the contrary
winds of the Red Sea. With knowledge of navigating by the stars
passed down from the Egyptians, the use of the magnetic compass learned
from the Chinese, and the stern mounted rudder of the Chinese
Junks, the Dhow was well equipped to dominate the Indian Ocean trade
routes during the last 2,000 years.

Thus, the Arab merchants must be given due credit, having made longer
voyages than Columbus nearly fifteen hundred years before Columbus
sailed toward the new world.

The features that distinguish the Dhow are its Lateen or Settee rig, and
typically a double ended hull form. Other features
that have come to characterize the Dhow are the long raked bow, and the
high and relatively upright stern. In some forms such as the Baghala,
and the Shuw'i (or Shu Ai) the stern was widened into a massive
wide transom often carried right down to the waterline. In other
types, the hull was more or less double ended, but often a platform
extended over the stern, much like the Indonesian sailing phinisi (which
seems to have been derived from the Dhow in terms of its hull form and
structure).

Click for Larger Image

The Dhow as a Yacht

The sailing Dhow shown here has been designed with a new
purpose... that of being a spacious and comfortable private charter yacht
or luxury yacht for entertaining guests.
In the model shown here we have struck a good compromise so that
while we do have a transom, we also have a fully double ended hull shape
at the waterline... i.e. the best of both types. As such,
this design most closely resembles the type of Dhow called the Baghala.

The stern has ample width, and is tucked up high to stay out of trouble in a
following sea. The aft deck extends beyond the lower transom just enough to
house the rudder head, so that a tiller or wheel can be arranged easily.
It is fairly common among traditional dhow types to have a slightly
rounded stem, which when finished off with the high curved stem timber seems
to resemble a scimitar…! Balanced with “davit” boards that
extend from the stern, the result is both functional and well balanced.

In terms of its structure, the Dhow is very much the same as the
Indonesian sailing phinisi types, which are outlined on our
Phinisi History web page. It is
assumed by many that the dhow was in fact the inspiration for the
phinisi craft of Indonesia.

If tradition were to be followed faithfully, the rig for this vessel
would be designed in keeping with a typical sailing Dhow, in other words
having a Lateen or Settee type of rig. If adaptations are able to be
made to allow the rig to be more easily handled, there is little reason
to be pedantically attached to the exact shape of the original sails.
For example, another way in which the Dhow can benefit from
traditions around the Indian Ocean would be to make use of a Chinese rig, as
follows...

Many drawings of traditional sailing Dhows show the Lateen / Settee rig with
a tilted trapezoidally shaped topsail above the main sail. It is not
such a far stretch then to imagine there being a few more battens or yards in between,
with a single sail arranged in panels between the yards.
Essentially, this would become a modified Chinese junk sail having the rakish look of the lateen rig…
For this design, three masts arranged this way would work out well, and
would preserve the ability of these craft to sail directly off the wind
like a square rigged ship as well as to tack through the eye of the
wind. The advantage here is that the yards would not need to be
man-handled in any way.

Particulars

36 meters Length on Deck (118')

31 meters Loaded WL Length (102')

10.7 meters Moulded Beam (35')

4 meters Loaded Draft (13')

300 metric tons Displacement (290 Imperial long tons)

The Interior Layout

At 118 meters over the range of the deck, the design is perfect
for a couple to live permanently aboard, and to also accommodate eight
or more
guests in four separate suites. With that, the interior layout is not at
all crowded, and there is plenty of room for a full crew.

Click for Larger Image

To best understand the planned interior layout, the
following walk-through should clarify the intent ...

Starting right forward, the forepeak will contain the chain and mooring
gear. Just aft of that, but still below the raised fore deck is a crew
cabin that could accommodate up to 6 crew, complete with crew head and
crew laundry.

Aft of the raised fore deck is a broad expanse of deck for seating pods,
shore boat storage, and for general lounging on deck. At the aft end of
the main deck is a deck house that extends the raised aft deck, and has
the lower main deck to each side. Inside this deck house is the
lounge. Entry to the lounge will be near its aft end.

Below the main deck at the forward end is a laundry to serve the guest
cabins. Amidships below the main deck are four generously sized guest
cabins, having a corridor down the middle. The central corridor
leads aft to a stairway which leads up and aft into the on-deck lounge.

Aft of the guest cabins and directly below the lounge is the engine
room. A generous shop space is located to each side of the main engine
room, with bulk fuel tanks below the shop soles. This allows working in
a space that is quieter than the main engine room, and that is air
conditioned. The shop spaces also function as machinery spaces for
electrical equipment, pumps, air conditioning, dive compressor and so
forth.

Aft of the engine room is an athwartships stairwell / utility corridor,
which extends from the main deck to the lower deck, providing access to
the crew quarters below and to the engine room. Aft of the
stairwell / utility corridor on the lower deck is a crew cabin, aft of
which is a cool room for fresh food storage.

Aft of the lounge, below the raised aft deck is the galley, which can
be used as a showcase for gourmet chef activities, accessible by all,
including crew. Right aft below the raised aft deck is a large owner’s
cabin. In charter mode, this cabin could alternately be used as a
luxury suite for higher paying guests.

On the raised aft deck is a traditional Dhow type of canopy which will
have the helm below it and an open air lounging space. Persian rugs will
adorn this open air lounge and canopy to lend the environs the aspect of being
inside an Arabian tent.

More Information...

An interesting article on our work with the wooden vessels of Indonesia appeared in the
New York Times, called
The Traditional Pinisi - And Then Some.
For a taste of what is possible with these craft, please see our
Dunia Baru web page where you
will find excellent as-built images.

If this or a similar traditional sailing yacht is of interest,
regardless of its cultural heritage, we offer a
complete design service from concept to launch.
Our preference is to use traditional methods and styling to the maximum extent possible; to
design the structure to classification society standards; and to assure that stability and
sea keeping are up to IMO standards for worldwide travel.

We can
accommodate a variety of requests, for example to change the size, to alter the
styling, or to modify the layout as needed.
For complete information about our work with similar types of craft, please see the following links.
If you have questions about our work with these craft, please
inquire.